Whirlpool bathtubs have been employed to treat discomfort resulting from strained muscles, joint ailments and the like.
To create the desired whirlpool motion and hydromassage effect, a motorized water pump draws water through a suction fitting in a receptacle, such as a bathtub. The user first fills the bathtub. Then the user activates the closed loop whirlpool system. The water travels through a piping system and back out jet fittings. Jet fittings are typically employed to inject water at a high velocity into a bathtub. Usually the jet fittings are adapted to aspirate air so that the water discharged into the receptacle is aerated to achieve the desired bubbling effect. See for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,039 to Hibbard et al., incorporated herein by reference. Hibbard et al also teaches one whirlpool bathtub having jet components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,167 to Mattson, Jr. et al. (“Mattson”), which is incorporated herein by reference teaches another embodiment of a whirlpool bathtub.
Generally, whirlpool baths are designed as with a normal bathtub to be drained after each use. However, debris in the form of dead skin, soap, hair and other foreign material circulates throughout the piping and pump system. This debris does not completely drain and over time, accumulates in the piping system and may cause a health risk.